Monday 12 January 2015 19:13, UK
Leicester still have a number of obstacles to overcome if they are to sign Andrej Kramaric.
Nigel Pearson’s struggling Premier League side have agreed a deal to sign the Croatia striker for an undisclosed fee from FC Rijeka and the 23-year-old has passed a medical.
However, Kramaric must now obtain a work permit for the transfer to go through but there remains some doubt about him meeting the necessary criteria at hearing which is scheduled for next week.
Sky Sports News HQ reporter Rob Dorsett writes: Sky sources suggest it's 50-50 whether or not Kramaric will be granted a visa allowing him to work in the UK. It's a very complicated, very political process, with no guarantee of success. For Kramaric, there are added complications.
Because Croatia only joined the European Union in 2013, the country's professional footballers are not afforded the same freedom of international employment as other EU nationals. If he were German or Spanish, for example, things would be much easier. But Kramaric has to satisfy the more strict criteria of non-EU nationals, if he's to be granted a UK work permit.
And, in short, Kramaric will FAIL to meet that criteria.
FA and Home Office rules dictate that for a player to be granted a work permit, his national team must be ranked in the top 70 countries by FIFA; and he must have featured in 75% of the competitive matches played by his national team in the previous two years. Croatia (ranked 19 in the world) satisfy the first criteria, but Kramaric fails the second. He is 23, and despite playing for the national team at every age group during his development, he has so far won only four senior caps.
For Leicester to complete the deal, they will have to present their case to an appeal panel, who will decide whether Kramaric is of "exceptional ability" and whether he would add to the overall quality of English football.
The six-man panel will meet next week; it's made up of one representative from the FA, one from the Premier League, one from the PFA, and three independent football experts (usually out-of-work managers, or similar). The difficulty for Leicester, is the current policy of the FA to restrict the number of non-UK players in England's top divisions.
Sky sources have told me Chelsea were very interested in signing Kramaric, and that having snared him, they planned to loan the striker to Vitesse Arnhem... Chelsea didn't pursue their interest because of concerns Kramaric would not be granted a work permit.
One of the key recommendations of FA chairman Greg Dyke’s commission on English football, presented in the summer, was a limit on the number of non-European Union players in the English game - action which, it was claimed, would increase the number of England-qualified footballers, thereby improving the national team in the aftermath of a winless World Cup in Brazil.
It's in that climate that Leicester must convince the FA panel that Kramaric can be a benefit to the national game. He is an exceptional goalscorer: 28 goals in 24 appearances for club and country so far this season attest to that. And club officials hope those stats will help sway the decision in their favour.
Leicester are leaving no stone unturned in trying to capture a player who they believe could light up the Premier League. I understand the club have already obtained a glowing reference from Niko Kovac, manager of the Croatian national team, but manager Nigel Pearson could play a key role in trying to influence the panel's decision. He's decided he WILL appear before them to argue his case next week.
Football's cynics will suggest that if it were Jose Mourinho sitting in front of the panel instead of Nigel Pearson, the chances of gaining a work permit would be greatly enhanced. Sky sources have told me Chelsea were very interested in signing Kramaric, and that having snared him, they planned to loan the striker to Vitesse Arnhem to increase his footballing education. It has been suggested to me that the reason Chelsea didn't pursue their interest, was because of concerns Kramaric would not be granted a work permit.
Kramaric's goalscoring record is extraordinary. And there's no doubting his potential, if he's allowed to prove himself in the Premier League. That fact gives Leicester reason for optimism, in their submissions to the FA. And Pearson is confident that he will get his permit. And therefore get his man.
